The goalkeeper of the Columbus Blue Jackets ice hockey team, Matiss Kivlenieks, died of a
thoracic trauma caused by the explosion of fireworks
, according to the preliminary autopsy published on Monday, and not from a fall, as the authorities.
Kivlenieks, 24, was in a hot tub when mortar-style fireworks began to explode right where he was.
He tried to get away, as did the group of people he encountered, but was hit
, explained Novi, Michigan police Lt. Jason Meier, according to
The Associated Press.
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Firefighters and paramedics arrived at the home shortly after 10:00 pm (local time) and transferred the player to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Meier said.
Before carrying out the autopsy, the police pointed out that Kivlenieks
had allegedly slipped
and hit his head on concrete while fleeing the fireworks that presented some kind of problem, during the festivities of July 4.
"At the moment, we are quite sure that it is
a tragic accident,
" acknowledged Meier.
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The Blue Jackets and the Latvian Hockey Federation, where the player was from, announced the death of Kivlenieks.
The NHL club pointed out that it was the result of an apparent head injury from a fall, with no reference to fireworks.
"Life is so precious and can be so fragile. Hug your loved ones today. DEP Matiss,
we will miss you so much,
" tweeted the director general of the formation.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a “devastating time” for the team.
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Blue Jackets president of operations John Davidson said it was a "devastating moment" for the team.
"Kivi was an exceptional young man who greeted everyone with a smile every day and the impact he had during his four years in our organization will not be forgotten," he acknowledged.
Born in Riga, Kivlenieks signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2017 and in total he played 8 games with the team.
With information from AP.